Ventilating system



Feb. 18, 1930.

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A TTORNE YS H. TQ wALToN vENTILATING SYSTEM Feb. 18, 1930.

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A ATTORNEYS.

I -lil Il- A @NVN Y wm. wm wN E Patented Feb. 418, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOWARD T. WALTON, OF COLLINGSWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO DAVID LUPTONS SONS COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION SYLVAN IA OF PENN- VENTILATING SYSTEM Application filed October 22, 1928. Serial No. 313,974.

This invention relates to Ventilating systems intended for use more particularly in buildings of industrial plants in which eX- plosives are manufactured or used, or in 5 which explosive materials are developed or highly combustible gases generated, incidental to manufacturing processes.

More specifically speaking, the present improvements are concerned with a Ventilating system wherein eXtensile members are incorporated with the mechanism provided for normally operating the Ventilating closures, such that, in the event of an explosion, the closures are permitted to open automatically for relief of attendant internal pressure to the end of precluding destruction of the buildings and minimizing casualties among workers employed therein. A typical protective Ventilating system of this character is disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent application, Serial No. 314,000 concurrently filed herewith by Joseph H. Sheard, and attention is therefore directed to the said applicationfor n the purpose of reference.

D In v,connection with a Ventilating organization of the kind referred to',-I aim to provide means whereby the system may be set'to function automatically underV different eX- plosive pressures, and thus adapted 'to the various conditions or requirements likely to be met with in practice. Y 'Y A further object of my invention is to enable-through provision of simple and inexpensive adjuncts-restoration of the system fornormal operation after an explosion by manipulation of thevmechanism employed for actuating said closures ordinarily.

How the foregoing as well as other objects and attendant advantages can be readily'realized in practice will be manifest from the detailed description which follows in connection with the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I is a vertical sectional elevation of a building Ventilating system conveniently embodying vmy invention. Fig. II is a fragmentary plan View of the system. Y

F ig. III is a longitudinal detail sectional View, on a larger scale, of a novel extensile member constituting a' feature of my invention, its component parts being shown in the positions which they normally occupy; and,

Fig. IV is a View, similar to F ig. III, showing howA the parts of the eXtensile member are distended in permitting automatic opening of the Ventilating closures respcnsively to the pressure of an explosion within the building.

The Ventilating system chosen for the pur poses of illustration herein is of the kind comprising continuous longitudinal closure sashes 10, which are arranged in verticallyspaced relation and pivoted along their upper edges as at 11, so as to be swingable to the open position, shown by dot-'and-dash lines in Fig. I. The supporting structure for the sashes may include longitudinals or hori- Zontals 12 to take the hinges 11 and to function as stops for the lower or swinging edges of the sashes 10, as well as uprights 13 to sustain said horizontals. To enable operation of the vertically-arranged sashes 10 in unison, links 15 are employed to connect arm prolongations 16 of the side rails of saidf sashes, the prolongations 16 extending 'inwards and upwards of the pivots '11.'

rIhe means which I provide for operating the sashes 10 embodies a screw 17 having end projection' beyond opposite sides of a laterally-slotted bearer 'housing 18. This housing is bolted or otherwise secured to a shelf in the form of afshort horizontally arranged channel piece 19 suitably attached to the uprights 13 (Fig. II) of the sash supporting structure. Aflixed tothe screw` 17 within the bearing housing 18 isa sheave 21 capable of actuationV either manually, or by power, through a chain 22. As shown in F ig. II, the ends of the screw 17 are oppositelythreaded as at 172171), and respec tively engage pivoted follower rblocks* Q3, on

motion multiplying levers 24,r which are counterparts of one another `and fulcru'med at 25, on the channel piece 19. The outer endsy of the levers 24, lie in different planes for capacity to overlap, as illustrated in Fig. II, and terminate in cross arms 24a, 'formed as integral transverse prolongations of the levers 2-1, or made separate and rigidly at? tached to said levers'by riveting or welding as found most expedient in practice. VThe movement of the levers 24, is communicated to the closure sashes 10 by means of connecting members 26, which, as later on explained, are exactly alike in construction and arrangement. For convenience in the present instance, the members 26, are coordinated with the lower sash 10 of the group shown in Fig. I; and the links 15, previously referred to, are relied upon to impart corresponding movement to the upper sash 10. From Figs.' I and II it will be vnoted that the members 26, are pivotally connected at one end to the bottom rail of the lower sash 10 at remotely spaced points 27, and, at the other end, are similarly connected to the out-er extremities of the cross arms 24a, of the levers y24, at 28. With this arrangement, rotation of the diiilerential .sereiv 157 in one direction through actuation of the slieave 21 by the eliain 2,2, will result in relative outward inovenient or separation of the levers l24 from the position illustrated and opening et the sashes 10, with concurrent sliding movement of the screw 17 in the slotted bearer housing 18; while rotation of the screw 17 afterwards in the opposite direction will be attended by relative approach vof the levers 24 and a reverse sliding of the screw 17 with closing of the sashes 10, Through a pair of longitudinally extending rods 29, 30 having pivotal connection with the cross arms 2421-, of the levers 2 4, at 3.1, 32 respectively, and by duplication of all the operating parts hereinbefore de scribed except for the screw 17, its housing 18 and sheave 241 (which are intended to serve as a master ineens) eerresoonding opening and Closing movementl may be iinparted to said sashes at distributed points along their length. Y

Referring now to Figs. III and IV, it Vwill be noted that each of the members 26 is rendered extensile as a consequence oi' lconstruen tion with .two relatively slidable sections 26a, 26h. The section 2 6@ is made tubular and i suitably formed at one end with aclevis 35 for pivotal connection at 27 to the closure sash 10, and at the other end litted with a short diametrically-enlarged extension 36. The section 26h, on the other hand, is made from rod stock, and is telescopically received within the section .26 which, as shown, is provided with a bearing-bushing 37 to assist in maintaining the rod centralized One end of the sec-tion 26h is flattened and pierced as at 38 for pivotal connection at 28 to the cross arms 2490i the corresponding lever 24, and the other end equipped with a head 39 having a slide lit within the tubular section 26, Near its outer end, the rod section 26b moreover carries a collar 40, which normally occupies the hollow of the enlarged extension 36 of the section 26a, as shown in Fig, III. This collar 40 has a rounded circum- :terential cam depression 40 adapted to be engaged by the correspondingly rounded projection 41a of a latch member 41'pivoted to a lug 42 exteriorly of the extension 36 of the section 26a, the projection 41a aforesaid reaching inwards through a slot 43 in the extension 36. The latch 41 is urged toward the collar 40 by a helical spring 45 enclosed in av lateral hollow boss-like offset 46 of the extension 36; and an adjustable abutment screw 47 is provided to enable regulation of the spring pressure for a purpose presently set forth. Ihe latch 41 thus functions as a coupling instrumentality to prevent relative sliding of the sections 26, 26b of the extensile link members 26 incidental to normal operation oi' the ventilating system. In the event, however, of an explosion within the building and induction oif lengthwise strain on the members 2,16, as the foree of, the explo.- sion exerts itself upon the sashes lO, the latches 41 will obviously yield to dislodgnient from the depressions 40a in the collars 40 thereby permitting ertensilel aetion of the. sections 26., 26h after the manner illustrated in Fig. IV, and automatic opening of the saslies 10: In this Connection, it is to. he observed that, by virtue of the facilities for` regf ulating the latch springs 4 5, the systein :may be set to. function automatically under diff ferent explosive. pressures, thus be adapt ed to ani7 special requirement. or conditions of practice,

When onoe opened under the forse of an eXplosion, the sashes lOare so held` for eenv tinued relief of. attendant pressure within the building, by aetion of eonnterweights all pivotally suspended, shown in Fig4 H, from the arm prolongations 1 6 of the lovverrnost sash l0,

The extent of sash opening under manual Operation, or under automatie. operation in the event of. an explosion, as lust explained, is lirnited by stop ineens shown in ligsland Il as embodying a rod al. with pivotal at? taelnnent at 52 tentrallyr of the loot-toni` rail oi the. loiver sash l0- This. rod 5l passes through a slotted step bracket 53 secured medially of the channel piece 19 and at the i'ree end carries collar 54 to cooperate with the step bracket 53 in limiting the opening ofthe sashlO as aforesaidE The stop means 51 also serves as aid in enabling resteration of the extensile members. 2G, to the nerf mal condition through operation ot the sash actuating mechanism in the. usual way. In other words, it will act to resist the thrust of the extensilev link members 2,6, as the rod sections 2Gb are. moved forward to bring their collars 40 once more into the province of the latches 41 and thereby eifect automatic re-` coupling with the tubular sections 26?, To facilitate such rer-coupling, the leading ends of the collars 40 are beveled as at 40b as shown in Figs. III and IV, so as to readily re-enter the enlargements l86 of the sections 26?*- at the inception of tlienievernent, and. then to depress the latches 41 in opposition to their springs 45 until the circumferential depressions 4()EL of the collars 40 are brought into registry with the projections 41a, of said latches 4l, When engagement will automatically take place, in amanner obvious from Figs. III and IV, whereupon the system may again be manually operated in the manner already ully understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a building Ventilating system of the character described, a closure with mechanism for normally operating it, mechanism embodying means permitting the closure to open automatically under pressure of an explosion Within the building, and counter- Weight means influential upon the closure in holding it in open position after the explosion.

2. In a Ventilating system of the character described with a closure hinged along its upper edge and mechanism for normally operating the closure, means permitting the closure to open automatically imder pressure of an explosion Wit-hin the building, and counter- Weight means influential upon the closure in holding it in open position after the explosion.

3. In a building Ventilating system of the character described, a closure and mechanism for normally operating it embodying extensile members With sections capable of sliding relatively to permit opening of the closure automatically under pressure of an explosion Within the building, and counter- Weight means influential upon the closure in holding it in open position after the explosion.

4. In a building system of the character described, a closure and mechanism for normally operating it, said mechanism embodying extensile members With sections capable of sliding relatively to permit opening of the closure automatically under pressure of an explosion Within the building, and means for coupling the sliding sections of the extensile members with provision for adjustmentl to yield under different explosive pressures.

5. In a building Ventilating system of the character described, a closure and mechanism for normally operating it, said mechanism embodying extensile members With sections capable of sliding relatively to permit opening of the closure automatically under pressure of an explosion Within the building, and means for coupling the sliding sections of the extensile members With a capacity for adjustment to yield under different explosive pressures including a latch on one of said sliding sections to engage a rounded cam notch in the other, a spring pressing on the latch, and a screw to regulate the pressure of the spring.

6. In a building Ventilating system or' the character described, a closure and mechanism for normally operating it, said mechanism embodying extensile members With sliding sections coupled by latch means capable of yielding to permit the closure to open under pressure of an explosion Within the building, counter Weight means influential upon the closure in holding it in open position after the explosion, and stop means for limiting the extent of opening and preventing movement oli' the closure incidental to subsequent re-coupling of the extensile member sections by actuation of the operating mechanism aforesaid.

7 In a building Ventilating system of the character described, a closure and operating means therefor including a motion-multiplying lever and a screvv for moving said lever, an extensile member connecting the lever with the closure, said member comprising sections capable of sliding relatively to permit opening of the closure automatically under pressure of an explosion Within the building, and c ountervveight means influential upon the closure in holding it open after the explosion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 13th day of October, 1928.

HOWARD T. WALTON 

